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The 80's. My era of tunes. Something magical happens when Cyndi Lauper or Prince plays on the radio and it's oh so powerful. The other day, I had the kids in the car and it was my turn to pick the playlist. Noah cued up an 80's station on Apple Music (if you don't have this, go get it NOW. $15 for the whole family to have ALL THE TUNES they desire.) Anyway, we drove along and listened to a few of my favorites:

"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" - Wham

"Let's Go Crazy" - Prince

"Dancing With Myself" - Billy Idol

My kids were really impressed that I knew EVERY word, and could keep rhythm whilst expertly singing AND snapping!! And even more, they LOVED the carefree mom that came out for a little fun. (Friends, maybe I'm crankier than usual lately, but teenagers are HARD to live with sometimes.)

In all seriousness though, it was really rejuvenating to sing and move and connect with that part of my youth, a time when things were nice and easy, and my BFF and I spent the better part of our summers playing songs over and over on the boom box, trying to decipher the lyrics and put them to memory. Those were the days when you had to work for your music acumen. No Shazam or Google to help us out.

As we continued the drive and each of the kids got to pick their favorites too, cuz music is meant to be shared, and LOUDLY if you're with teens. Guess what? The happiness was contagious. So I got to thinking, I should to play more music in the house...it could help ALL our moods. Maybe I shouldn't always throw earbuds at my kids when they start blaring their music. An open mind is an evolved one, right?

And did you know that music has been found to be good for your health? Some doctors have shown that it even has medicinal benefits. Researchers say that music increases the amount of the mood-enhancing chemical-dopamine-produced in the brain, so it can counter depression. Music has also been proven to reduce pain in patients, alleviate symptoms of stress and anxiety disorders, and even aid in memory recall for patients with dementia and Alzheimer's.

You guys, MUSIC ROCKS!!

The late, beloved Billy Idol was ahead of his time when he said, "I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music." He was so very right.

So, the Hales have decided to bring the music back and let the good times roll. When the kids get home from school, when we're cooking dinner, when we're doing chores, even sitting down with homework, tunes will be keeping us company, fueling and filling us up. And if a little dancing or snapping happens, all the better.

{J}

P.S. It wasn't until I wrote this post that I realized that all three of the artists I mentioned have passed away. I am proud that such influential musicians had an impact on my youth and I'll be sharing their music with my kids so the legacy can live on. You won't be forgotten, George, Prince and Billy.

We are Holly and Jenn, friends since our teens were in kinder and writing partners since we learned of a shared dream and were brave enough to chase it. Currently obsessed with hot tea, rainy days, lovely writing and Netflix, you will find us contemplating ALL the things here on our blog. We write YA fiction and hope to bring insight, inspiration, and a healthy dose of levity to other writers on the path to publication. It is the best of times.